


Light in the Night

by Abiggaynerd



Category: Don't Starve (Video Game)
Genre: 1870s AU, F/F, Western AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-25 17:40:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30092721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abiggaynerd/pseuds/Abiggaynerd
Summary: Charlie gets a late night visitor.
Relationships: Charlie/Willow (Don't Starve)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	Light in the Night

**Author's Note:**

> Another fanfic of quetzalcoatlzz.tumblr.com ‘s western au comic, link here: https://quetzalcoatlzz.tumblr.com/post/641858715290583040/join-the-carter-ranch-discord-server

Charlie looked out her window from her bed. It was clear out, and she could see the moon. She sighed, rubbing her forehead. She could not sleep. 

It was silent. 

She closed her eyes. It had been a long day. One of her girls had gotten sick, and she had had to contact Maxwell’s new boytoy and have him take care of her. She would be fine, the doctor had assured, but Charlie couldn’t help worrying. 

On top of that, a letter had come from her parents. 

Charlie’s family was never rich, but she was still sheltered. Her older sister and her parents had worked extremely hard to help her become a proper lady. They had been thrilled she had secured such a wealthy man. After the... incident, she had promised her parents they would marry when they reached Constant, ignoring their protests that traveling with a man she was not married too would be scandalous. She felt terrible for deceiving them, but she could not tell them the truth- she was not a pampered mistress of the Carter ranch, but Madame of a whorehouse. This was not at all what they had wanted for her. 

The only one who knew the truth- about her and Maxwell’s... preferences, about the broken off engagement, all of it- was her dear sister Winona. Winona understood everything- Charlie knew that the relationship with the female friend Winona was living with was not exactly chaste. Winona had urged her to tell their parents, at least about the broken off engagement, if nothing else, but Charlie still couldn’t work up the courage to tell them. In her (extremely rare) visits home, Maxwell would even come with her and lie. She was jealous of the close and open relationship he had with his family- they knew of their broken engagement, and the reasons, and had accepted it. Darling Wendy still called her Aunt, when she saw her, though. 

She looked at the unopened letter on her nightstand. Every time she got one, she was terrified they had found out- if they heard about everything... 

It would be better for her mental state to open it, but she found she could not. The letter opener lay on top of it, taunting her. 

THONK

Charlie jumped wildly and yelped as someone banged into her window. 

“CHARLIE!! YOU AWAKE?” 

Charlie rolled her eyes as she calmed down. She opened the window. “How could I not be, after that racket?” 

Willow grinned. “Can I come in?” Charlie nodded, and Willow began to try to get in through the window. 

“Not through the window! Through the door! Honestly, Willow, it’s like you’re a secret lover trying to catch a moment alone with your beloved without alerting her parents.” 

“I am,” Willow said cheerfully. “Except the parents part.” 

“Exactly, which is why you can come through the door. This is my house.” 

Willow grumbled, but went to the door to be let in. Charlie lit a candle, put on a robe, and walked through the rooms to get to the back door. 

“Kiss?” Willow asked, taking off her hat. She helpfully pointed at her lips to indicate where they were. 

“Very well,” Charlie said. She leaned over and pecked Willow on the lips, but before she could pull away, Willow deepened the kiss and put her hand on the back on Charlie’s head. Charlie relaxed into it. Being with Willow calmed her spirits. 

Charlie pulled away when it became apparent Willow had no problem having sex right where they were. “Come along, dear.” 

“It’s a bit chilly tonight,” Willow remarked, scampering after Charlie. “Just, incredibly cold. I’ve never seen it get this bad, really. You might freeze to death.” 

Willow cut in front of Charlie to open her bedroom door for her. Charlie smiled. “If you’re asking if you can make a fire in my room, you may.” 

“Yess,” Willow said, no regard for her noise level. She took Charlie’s candle and began fussing with the fireplace. It really had grown slightly chilly with the window open. Charlie closed it, as well as the curtains. 

“Where is Bernie?” Charlie asked, taking off her robe and climbing back into bed. 

“Maxwell has nice stables,” Willow said. 

“You walked all the way here from Maxy’s stables?? Why Willow, you must be exhausted!” 

“Any amount of exhaustion is worth it if I can inconvenience Maxwell,” Willow said. “Besides, he’s got great food for the horses. Bernie likes it there.” 

“Do you need food? A drink?” 

“I just need you,” Willow said, about to climb on Charlie’s bed. 

“Absolutely not! No, Willow, if you want to get on my bed with my good linens, you’re going to take a bath first.” 

Willow grimaced. “Really? Do I have to?” 

“Yes! But here, don’t make that face. I’ll wash you myself.” 

“...Fine.” 

“Come, help me set up the tub.” 

Having Willow to help lug around the heavy tub and buckets of water made the whole experience much faster. Willow was much stronger than Charlie, and had the added bonus of “liked to show off.” 

“Alright,” Charlie said. “Get in.” 

Willow seemed to have forgotten the bath was for her. She frowned. “What if I washed you instead?” 

“You don’t have to sleep with me, you know,” Charlie teased. “You can sleep on my floor. I can find a blanket.” 

Willow threw back her head and groaned. “FINE.” She threw off her clothes. Charlie watched appreciatively. 

Willow was not what most people considered attractive for a woman, but Charlie didn’t hold much stock in their opinions. Willow was toned, from hours of manual labor and horseback riding. She wore no corset, but instead wore nothing but men’s clothes. Her breasts, unlike Charlie’s, were small enough to need no support. She was thin, but strong. Her beautiful black hair was thick and shiny, if you ignored the layers of soot and dirt.

“At least it’s hot,” Willow said, stepping in. 

“Just below boiling, just how you like it,” Charlie said. She had a rag, and used a bit of her soap on it. Rose scented. Willow had admitted a while back that she liked smelling of Charlie’s soap. 

Willow seemed to be enjoying the heat, now she was actually in it. Charlie smiled, and took her hand. The nails were cut short, but caked with dirt. She began scrubbing. 

The water became murky as Charlie cleaned Willow. 

“You must have half the dust in Texas on you,” Charlie said. 

“Sometimes I roll in the dirt,” Willow said. 

Willow was practically boneless from Charlie’s rhythmic, gentle and careful cleaning; she now looked like an entirely different person. It was almost done, all that was necessary now was to rinse Willow’s hair. 

She unbraided the braids, running her fingers through it. The cloud of dust made her sneeze. 

“My hair too? Really?” 

“I’ll brush your hair after,” Charlie soothed. “Give you a nice scalp massage.” 

Charlie had to rinse the hair five times before she was certain all the grime was out of the hair. 

“Alright, all done,” Charlie said. Willow immediately bolted out of the tub, getting water everywhere.

Willow dried herself with a towel, then rummaged in Charlie’s drawers to find the clothes Charlie kept for her. She pulled out a nightgown and put it on. 

“Sit on the floor in front of me,” Charlie instructed. Willow complied. Charlie began to brush the hair. 

“You have beautiful hair,” Charlie said. 

“It doesn’t really do anything I want it to,” Willow said. “Always slips out of the braids! So irritating. I don’t know how fancy ladies like you keep your hair in those crazy styles all the time.” 

“Part of it is not rolling in dirt, dear.” 

“Well, I guess I’m never going to be able to do a fancy smancy hairstyle then.” 

“You never were going to in the first place.” 

“Ah! True.” 

Willow settled against Charlie’s legs. Charlie began to massage Willow’s scalp. 

“That’s nice,” sighed Willow. “I haven’t seen you in ages. I missed you a lot.” 

“It’s only been a few days.” 

“AGES.” Willows groaned. “You know Wilson- that doctor- he’s living with Maxwell now? He only comes to town for work. Goes back at night.” 

“Mr. Higgsbury is truly living with him? Maxy must be very fond of him.” 

“Why can’t I live with you,” Willow complained. “Why does that awful man get nice things and I, objectively the best person ever, do not?” 

“Am I not a nice thing?” 

“You’re the BEST THING!” 

Charlie chuckled. “You’re the best thing to me too.” She kissed her head. “I love you.” 

“If I wasn’t a wanted criminal I would be... Your housewife.” 

Charlie laughed. “You? A housewife? In what world?” 

“Well, I suppose I could be your bodyguard and scare away men who bother your girls.” 

“That would be nice.” 

Willow pulled away and turned around. 

“You’re nice. Want me to make you feel nice too?” 

Charlie nodded. Willow beamed. 

“Nothing too much tonight, though,” Charlie said. “I’m tired. We can do more tomorrow.” 

“Alright!” 

The sex was calm, and not rushed, but Charlie finished rather quickly.

She breathed heavily for a few moments before speaking. 

“Honestly, you devious thing, where did you even learn that?”

“I like to put things in my mouth.” Willow was on top of her now, and Charlie kissed her. They kissed passionately for a moment, until Willow pulled back. 

“Let’s go to sleep. Did you have a long day?” 

“Yes,” Charlie sighed. “But I feel better with you here.” 

They climbed until the covers. Charlie turned and saw the letter on the nightstand. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“A letter from my parents.” 

“Want me to kill them for you?” 

“No,” Charlie snorted. “You can’t kill all of my problems.” 

“I can try.” 

Charlie looked at it for a moment longer, before sitting back up and opening it. She smiled at Willow- her simply being there gave her enough courage to open the letter. 

She hesitantly read it. 

“Dearest Charlie,  
We miss you terribly! Our neighbors have just had a baby girl, and she reminds us so much of you when you were her age. You were so small and perfect. We thought to ourselves, no matter what happens, we will love this child with all our hearts, and support her in all things.   
We hope you and your husband create a little miracle of your own very soon.  
All our love,   
Mother and Father.” 

Charlie set down the letter. Her anxiety was eased a bit, but she stared pensively into the fire. 

“Willow, I think it may be time I told them the truth.” 

Willow pulled her close, kissing her forehead. 

“I’ll be with you whether they accept it or not. Don’t worry.” 

“I love you,” said Charlie. 

“I love you too.” 

Charlie fell asleep quickly held in Willow’s arms.


End file.
